Stuck no Juutsu
by David Stryder
Summary: Chp 12! The final showdown begins! (Shoujo-AI in later chapters)
1. dream?

Note: This story starts the night after Team 7 recieves the Wave Country mission. (I think they left on the same day in the manga, but oh well) This means that the Sharingan eyes are unknown to them.  
  
Warning: May contain spoilers for those who don't know this stuff.  
  
disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me, legally or otherwise.  
  
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Running. Running through darkness. Running with no end in sight, no light at the end of the tunnel. Running as if hell itself was on his heels. Uzumaki Naruto suddenly found himself emerging from the blackness into a grassy plain, but still feeling like something was after him. So he kept running. Normally, the blond ninja didn't run from anything, much less something he couldn't see; but this was different. Thankfully, it started to fade, and he seemed to have evaded it once he was deep into the surrounding forest.  
  
"Oh, it's just you." a voice said.  
  
Naruto looked up and saw a figure sitting in the branches. With one look, he knew. "What the hell are you doing here, Ebisu?"  
  
The tutor of the Third Hokages grandson jumped down and landed lightly in front of him. "I'm here to make sure you never show that face of yours in Konoha village again, demon." A nasty grin spread over his face, and he assumed a fighting stance.  
  
_/Are you kidding?/_ Naruto thought._ /Didn't I already beat this closet pervert? Oh, well. I guess I have to re-educate him./_ With that, he formed his hands to the specific seals of his ...unique juutsu. "Sexy no Juutsu!!" And the young ninja transformed into a busty, blond girl with the same whisker lines on her cheeks as when normal, covered only by a thin cloud of smoke. She gave an alluring wink and blew him a kiss, making it extra sexy.  
  
Normally, this would have sent him flying backwards with a nosebleed, but this time, something different happened. With no emotion on his face, Ebisu charged forward and attacked him/her by striking the forehead and neck with the first two fingers of each hand. He then began a strange juutsu that Naruto had never seen before, and did a palm strike into his/her face just as he yelled the name of the juutsu, and Naruto was unable to hear it.  
  
Then, the blackness was back. Naruto was floating this time, still transformed, still quite naked, and then noticed a pair of eyes in the distance. They were red, red as blood, and as they drew closer, Naruto could make out 3 swirl marks spiraling around the pupil. The ninja had never seen eyes like this, in fact had never even thought such eyes could exist. Yet, as he watched, they started changing. The swirls flowed towards the center, as if made of liquid, and merged with the pupil, making a pinwheel-like image. At that moment...  
  
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...Naruto sat bolt-upright in bed, sweat pouring down, soaking his shirt. _/What... what the hell? What were those...?/_ It was still dark out, and he climbed out of bed in the darkness to go to the bathroom and get some water. On the way, he bumped his foot on the doorway and let out a high-pitched yelp. _/Huh? Did I just cry like a girl? Over a stupid doorpost?/_ Once he was all the way inside, he flicked on the light.  
  
And screamed that same, high-pitched, girly scream.  
  
Because the face in the mirror was a girls. His own Sexy no Juutsu, in fact.  
  
_/What the HELL? Did I transform in my sleep?/_ He mentally kicked himself for making such a racket so early. _/It goes away after a while, so I'll just wait it out/_ So he/she waited. And waited. And waited. An hour passed and he was still a she. _/This is bad. This is very bad./_

Naruto was a girl for good.  
  
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It's a bit short, but that was what I thought up. Please review, and submit ideas if you want. Pairing suggestions welcomed! BTW, I intend to keep this going, so keep your eyes open...


	2. discovery

Well, it seems that the overall preference is SasuXNaru, but that's only from 5 reviews. I might do that, I might not, ...we'll see.  
  
warning and disclaimer: see chapter 1  
  
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It was another warm, breezy morning in Konoha village. At the gates, 2 young ninja could be seen waiting; one with bright pink hair that went down to her mid-back, with a red top and a forehead protector wrapped on top of her head like a hair wrap...thing; the other, with long, black hair, black eyes, a blue shirt, and a forehead protector worn in the traditional method. Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura were waiting as patiently as they could when a taller ninja appeared before them. Even though you couldn't tell right away, the jounin was smiling, silver hair shining in the sunlight as he gave another excuse as to why he was late. If Hatake Kakashi was ever on time for anything, it would be reason enough to panic. Soon after, an old man came out to meet them. The elder Tezuna gruffly asked "We ready to go yet?"  
  
Kakashi answered "We're still waiting for Naruto." Seeing everyone's expressions, he added, "We can't leave without him."  
  
Both Sakura and Sasuke thought the same thing: _/Where is that idiot?/  
_  
After half an hour passed by, Sasuke went back to see if Naruto was even awake yet. _/After all the fuss he made yesterday about getting a decent mission, you'd think he'd be the first one there, but nooooooo./_ The young Uchiha finally reached Naruto's apartment and knocked on the door. Nothing. He tried the doorknob and found it unlocked. He leaned in and called out, "Hey, Idiot! Everybody's waiting, hurry up!"  
  
"I'm not going!" Came a female-sounding voice from further inside. "Just go away!"  
  
"Like HELL, you're not going, you asshole! And what the hell's wrong with your voice? You sound like a girl." Sasuke walked in and went back to what he thought was Naruto's room. The door was shut, obviously. He tried opening it, but a weight on the other side kept it shut. "Dammit, Naruto! Kakashi says we can't leave without you, so quit arguing!"  
  
"Look, I said I'm not going! Don't make me kick your ass!"  
  
_/That same female voice! What the .../_ Enough was enough. Sasuke kicked the door hard, causing it to come off the frame completely. What met the young ninja's eyes was a young girl wearing a baggy t-shirt and boxers (not much else), with blue eyes, long blonde hair pulled into two pigtails, and 'whisker' lines on her cheeks. It was the female version of Naruto, for God sakes! "What the... how did... who the... huh?" The black-haired ninja was stunned, but more than that; he couldn't take his eyes off her. Him. Whoever. _/Isn't this his... Sexy no Juutsu?/_

Oo  
  
"I don't know what happened either. And quit staring!!" The female Naruto blushed slightly, yet was quite upset.  
  
"Look you..." Sasuke's words didn't want to come out. "Just get dressed and come on. You're coming no matter what you look like." He quickly walked out before his own blush became visible. Sasuke then gulped and thought_ /Damn, he's hot! Even better looking than Sakura!/  
_  
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Shortly afterwards, Naruto emerged from the apartment, dressed in a black t-shirt and his usual orange pants, sandals, and forehead protector. Except that it was worn loosely around his/her neck, like Hyuuga Hinata wore hers. He/she also had wraps around both arms and hands, up to the elbows. It was too warm for the jacket today.  
  
Sasuke stared for a few seconds, then quickly turned away as his blush returned. Making sure to stay ahead, the two of them made their way back to the others waiting for them.  
  
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Well, that was a bit longer, but it looks like it's leaning towards a SasuXNaru storyline. This will go on for quite a while, though, so don't count on that being it. Please R&R! Also taking more suggestions for pairings, no matter what gender!


	3. encounter

Well, this seems to be a popular story! The reviews have doubled in the few hours since I updated. So, I'll go ahead and update again, while the idea is still fresh in my mind.  
  
warning and disclaimer: see chapter 1  
  
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As Sakura waited, she tried to think of all the possible excuses that Naruto could use to explain why he was late. Bad bowl of Ramen before bed, overslept, kidnapped, killed by enemy ninja, etc. Once Sasuke returned, she figured she was ready for whatever the blond idiot threw at her.  
  
But not this.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL?! What is he doing looking like that, Sasuke?" she demanded.  
  
"What are you saying?" Naruto piped up. "What do you mean 'like that'? I probably look better than you, now!" And that was it. She jumped and started a massive catfight that ended up being stopped by Kakashi.  
  
"Now, now. Settle down you two. Naruto, why are you in your Sexy no Juutsu?"  
  
The blond ninja looked battered AND upset. "I don't know! I just woke up this morning to find a different face looking at me in the mirror, okay?!" He left out the part about dreaming the change and the strange, evil eyes; Kakashi didn't need to know that part.  
  
"Well, I don't see this as too big of a problem. You can still fight, right?"  
  
"Yeah, I can still kick ass!" he/she proclaimed.  
  
"Then that's all there is to it! We go through with the mission and discuss this with the Hokage when we return. If this wears off during the trip, that'd be even better." The silver-haired ninja was smiling with his eyes (eye?) again.  
  
_/Well, that's just great. Now I'm stuck on a team with TWO girls/ _Sasuke thought.  
  
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So they walked. Naruto in the lead and Sasuke bringing up the rear, of course. Sakura was next to him. Kakashi and Tezuna were in the middle. No one spoke. Everyone's thoughts, however, were constant.  
  
Sakura: _/I swear, he's doing that just for attention. That bastard. Or is it bitch, now? God, I hope he changes back soon. Just looking at that ...new body of his... hers... GAAH! This is gonna fry my brain!/_ She stared at Naruto absently, her eyes trailing downwards. _/She really doesn't look that bad... then there's that ass.../_ and stopped just as quickly. _/Huh? Did I just complement Naruto in my mind? And was I staring at his... her.../_ Sakura managed to look calm as a mental scream echoed in her mind.  
  
Sasuke: _/Oh, God. What am I supposed to do now? Here I am with a girl who thinks the world of me, but isn't much to look at, and my biggest rival is now this hot chick with a great ass!/_ It was Sasuke's turn to stop. _/Now I'm staring at Naruto's ass!! I'm gonna go crazy!/  
  
_Kakashi: _/This could be interesting. ...Did I leave my book back at the village?/  
  
_Tezuna:  
  
Naruto: _/Dammit. I can feel them all staring at me. I knew I shoulda just kicked that bastard out when I had the chance! Now look where I am! Heading off into a country I know nothing about looking like some ...some ...girl!/_ She glanced back over her shoulder. _/Well, the adults are out of it. Sakura looks about ready to kill me... and Sasuke's blushing?/  
_  
At this time, only Kakashi noticed a puddle of water on the trail as they walked on. Once they were past, a ninja rose up out of it like a snake, watching the group. Looking for an opening to attack. Staring at that blonde chick... then shaking his head and disappearing back into the water.  
  
They kept walking, no words between any of them. Just some stares, some awkward glances.  
  
The chains came out of nowhere. Instantly, Kakashi was tied up with chains from some neighboring trees, both chains being bladed on every other link. Needless to say, when they were pulled, there was a bloody mess. One down. The other ninjas couldn't even look and started running out of fear. Tezuna was right behind them. That is, until Sasuke remembered that they had to protect the old man. He quickly moved around behind him, just in time to see one of the ninja charging forward with some knives, ready to strike. He threw some of his own knives, which were knocked away. One of the other ninja came up behind him and kicked him from behind, knocking unconscious. Two down. The last three stopped, stunned. Opening. They attacked again, aiming to wrap the whole group up in their bladed chains. They would've been done already, but both were slowed down by the sight of that blonde chick...  
  
The attack never even got started. Both ninja found themselves in a dual headlock by a man that everyone thought was dead, silver hair almost glowing in the sunlight. Kakashi stood there, not even trying to hold them. Once again stunned, the ninja looked over at the sight of their teacher's apparent death and found a log, sliced into pieces. Of course; substitution. Kakashi seemed to like that one.  
  
---  
---  
  
As Kakashi 'interrogated' the ninjas, Naruto walked over to Sasuke's still body and tried to rouse him. Mumblings. No good. Smacked him. Nothing. _/Dammit, wake up!/_ He punched the sleeping ninja in the face, causing Sasuke to finally get up and react with a knife to Naruto's throat. This didn't last long, though, because he pulled back, blushing brighter than ever. "S-s-sorry. I'm ...sorry."  
  
Sakura stood where she stopped earlier, trying to put together what she had just witnessed. The two ninjas had appeared out of nowhere, torn Kakashi to shreds, knocked Sasuke out, and were about to tear the rest of them apart... then they were saved. She sat down roughly from the sheer amount of data running through her head. Then there was Naruto. For some reason, the blond ninja became the most gorgeous thing in the world just before they attacked. Even to someone like Sakura. And that was kinda disturbing. She never thought she liked other girls ...that way.  
  
---  
No one knew it just yet, but when Naruto transforms because of Sexy no Juutsu, he doesn't stay in it long enough to activate it's special ability. You see, if the first impression isn't enough, then a special chakra cloud is released that affects all the sensory imput to the brain of everyone in the affected area. Like a pheromone. No matter who is attacking, Naruto is suddenly the most beautiful thing in the world to everyone in range. Everyone.  
---  
  
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Well, that was chapter 3! Still no set pairings, 'cause it looks like Naruto could hook up with anyone now. Please R&R! 


	4. Zabuza

Okay, I really need to stop delaying this story from finishing, so let's get down to it. A few notes: I'm making most of this up off the top of my head, so no cracks about how that didn't happen in the manga; I am totally ignoring the Inari sub-plot; and I am referring to Naruto as her and she.  
  
If you still need a warning and disclaimer, then _you haven't been reading anything_.  
  
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The ninjas and their charge continued on, trying to focus on what lay ahead of them instead of what just happened. Naruto was still fuming over the fact that she couldn't move during the attack, and Sasuke and Sakura were still disturbed over their recent Naruto-based thoughts. Almost no one noticed that a thin mist was forming out of nowhere. Kakashi was still paying attention, so he was the first one to sense that something was wrong.  
  
"GET DOWN!!" he screamed. Everyone dropped just as a huge sword, like a meat cleaver, whirled overhead and sunk itself deep into a nearby tree. A sillouette landed on the sword and stood there, staring at the group. Sizing them up.  
  
"This is it? This is the old man's guard?" The figure had a gruff, nasty voice. "Don't make me laugh."  
  
"Zabuza." Kakashi suprised everyone with that. They couldn't have known that their teacher had met this strange man before. Their suprise turned to wonder as the jounin reached for the part of his headband that covered his left eye.  
  
"Ah, copy ninja Kakashi. Been a long time. How'd you get way out here?" Zabuza noticed the movement. "The Sharingan eye. The source of your reputation. You would bring out such a weapon so soon into battle?"  
  
Sasuke flinched at the mention of the Sharingan. Naruto and the others just stared. Kakashi turned to them and whispered "You three stay out of this. He is beyond your level. Your priority is the old man." With that, he pulled his forehead protector up to it's proper position, revealing his hidden eye. It was red, with 3 black swirls rotating around the pupil.  
  
Sasuke was now very suspicous. _/How does he have the Sharingan eye? That's something that only members of the Uchiha clan posess. How did he...?/_  
  
Naruto was stunned for a different reason. Seeing that eye... she suddenly had flashes of that dream... of the eyes that stared through her. "Kakashi..."  
  
In the next instant, the silver-haired ninja was already moving, leaping nimbly onto a nearby branch and letting fly 3 kunais. Just as quickly, Zabuza grabbed his sword and blocked all 3 of them, suddenly disappearing from view. Kakashi did likewise. Both warriors were unseen for some time, only various clangs and impacts suggesting where they were. Finally, they both appeared on the lake. Somehow they had made it to a lake without realizing it. Both stood, unmoving.  
  
"You've gotten slow over these years, Kakashi." Zabuza taunted. "From what I've heard of you, you should've beaten me long ago."  
  
Kakashi only smirked (I think?) and replied "Don't bother with flattery."  
  
The rest of the conversation went unheard, but what was seen made that seem moot. Like a mirror image, the two warriors began a juutsu that required several hand seals, all done identically. Slowly, gracefully, two dragons made entirely out of water rose from the lake and began a midair battle, while the two ninja continued theirs below. The dragons bit and clawed, the ninja slashed and punched, until finally the serpents cancelled each other out and rained down on the two. Both were kneeling, tired. Zabuza was getting visibly shaken, not used to fighting himself like this. Kakashi was able to match him move for move, getting better as the fight dragged on. This had to end now. He stood and began the seals for his strongest juutsu, still distracted...  
  
...Just as Kakashi began and finished the exact same juutsu, using the same technique on his opponent that his opponent was going to use on him, but quicker. A large wall of water erupted around the silver-haired jounin, rushing strait towards the bewildered Zabuza, and slamming him against a distant tree, finished.  
  
Slowly, he looked up and saw Kakashi land on a higher branch, holding a single kunai. "Can you see the future?" He asked groggily.  
  
"Yes. You're going to die now." With that, he leapt down and plunged the razor-sharp blade all the way through Zabuza's neck and into the tree trunk behind it. The blood ran down his hand and made quite a mess on the grass below. The monster was now dead, hanging from a tree. Kakashi slowly made his way back to the rest of the group, replacing the forehead protector back over his Sharingan. "Are you al...?" He noticed that they were all looking back at the body, worried.  
  
When he turned, he saw a young boy, no older than Naruto, standing and staring at Zabuza's lifeless body. His long black hair was gathered into a bun on his head, except for two sets of bangs over his face. He wore a green jacket and brown pants, and looked completely out of place. Then the boy turned and looked at them, revealing a strange mask: one Kakashi reconginzed as that of a hunter-nin. However, he felt a palpable rage coming off the boy like a burst of heat. The boy then took the kunai out of Zabuza's neck and put the body over his shoulder. The next instant, he was gone.  
  
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So, howzat? I finally got around to bringing in Haku, which was the whole reason I started this story at the point it started at. So sue me, I like Haku. Anywho, I think i've come up with a pairing, but i'm not saying who! You can R&R if you want, but the next chapter is going up at the same time as this one. 


	5. training

Yosh! Now the next chapter in a two-hit combo!! HAHAHA!!  
  
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The young members of team 7 were gathered in a small clearing in the forest. Kakashi had decided that he should use this oppertunity to train the young ninja while he rested up and also to keep an eye out for more trouble. Zabuza may be dead, but that boy...  
  
Naruto was pacing, antsy to begin the next phase of training. Sasuke and Sakura were leaning against trees, the latter with dark circles under her eyes. Neither of them had slept very well, because they had been unknowingly affected by Naruto again during that last fight. The dreams had become more ...vivid. Sasuke only woke up once during the night, but poor Sakura had woken up more than half a dozen times. Every time the dream began to get hot and heavy....  
  
After an eternity, Kakashi finally appeared, still on crutches like the last few days. That fight had drained him of almost all of his chakra, and now he was _supposed_ to be bedridden. But he obviously had better priorities.  
  
"We're going to climb trees." He said with a grin. "Without using our hands." The jounin then explained that it was an excersize in chakra control. If you could concentrate a continuous level of chakra into the soles of your feet --enough to hold you to the trunk, but not so much you burst through it-- then no juutsu should be beyond their reach. He then demonstrated by crutch-walking strait up the trunk of a nearby tree and stopped upside down on a thick branch.  
  
That was enough. All three began climbing. Even tired, Sakura managed to get to a high branch in one try, due to her exceptional chakra control. The other two ...didn't. Naruto got a few feet up, then fell on her head. Sasuke got a few feet higher before he jumped off. Kakashi noticed that as they kept trying, Naruto was gaining height at an incredible rate, leaving Sasuke in the dust. Also, he was able to sense that while Naruto still had a large amount of chakra, it was significantly less than she had when she was still a he. This verified something the silver-haired jounin had been speculating for some time.  
  
Individuals with any skill in the use of chakra develop it pretty much the same. The exception is with the two different genders. Males have a tendancy to posses a large amount of chakra, but have less control over it. The females, however, don't have nearly as much chakra, but they can control it extremely well. There are a few exceptions, but not many.  
  
Kakashi was jolted out of his thoughts by a slight rustle of leaves, followed by a grunt and a thud as the body of Sasuke fell from a high branch with a sickening thud. His eyes were open and blank, as if dead. Glistening from deep in the side of his neck were 3 black senban. Throwing needles.  
  
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Kinda short, but oh well. So far, so good, ne? R&R!  
  
And sorry again about taking so long!! 


	6. Haku

Wow, ...I keep exiling myself from the internet. At this rate, who knows? 

To make up for that, I'm doing a longer chapter this time. So there.

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The old man, Tezuna, walked cautiously through the morning mist. The whole village knew that the monster Zabuza had been slain, and Gatou fled the country later that day. Still, there was the matter of that black-haired boy. If Zabuza was truly dead, who could have struck so swiftly? That was only one of the many things that bothered the old man as he proceeded on his way to the bridge.

Another was that he only had two ninja as escorts: That pink-haired girl, Sakura, and that loudmouth blonde, Naruto. Two little girls. Yeah, he felt _real_ safe._** Sheesh.**_

The two genins, however, had their minds on Sasuke. They were all so sure that the boy was dead, yet he 'woke up' later on in the house. Apparently, the senbon struck pressure points that put the victim into a death-like state, but not actual death. He could talk, but he was mostly paralyzed. Kakashi had decided that he should stay with Sasuke until he could at least move around. Naruto and Sakura had been sent with the old man for the same reason Tezuna was concerned: someone had nearly killed Sasuke, and would likely try again.

Sakura was just noticing that she had not thought about Naruto all morning when the fog rolled in, thick and heavy. Immedietly, the three lost each other. No one could see a thing. It was several minutes of yelling and groping by the time they found each other again. (Sakura took note of the fact that she got in a free ass-grab on Naruto, due to an 'accident')

"I guess I'm not working on the bridge, today." Tezuna commented.

/_No shit_/ Naruto thought snidely.

"Where is he?"

Everyone jumped. The voice was not one they recognized. It sounded young, yet brimming with anger. "Where is the silver-haired one? The copy-ninja? **HE'S THE ONE I WANT!!**" The sheer rage that exploded from that shout almost knocked them all on their collective asses. The two ninja had come prepared to fight off a few stray assassins, but not someone _this_ pissed off. Tezuna decided that a bridge was not worth being mercilessly slaughtered over, and ran for the hills, not caring if he accedentally ran off the side of the bridge. Now it was just the two female ninja against an unseen, very angry foe.

They came from every direction. Glistening black needles flew from everywhere and struck the two in several different places, bringing both to their knees. This was a new pain to Naruto, who had thought she had become accustomed to all kinds of pain. Stinging, everywhere. Her left leg was growing numb. She looked over at Sakura and found the young genin barely conscious, still trying to locate their mysterious attacker. Black needles poked out of her like a cactus.

Black needles.

Black...needles...

"Hey! Are you the bastard that almost killed Sasuke?! Huh?!" Naruto was now quite mad, because these were the same types of needle that hit the black-haired ninja the other day.

Slowly, a figure began to emerge from the fog. "You all killed him. Zabuza-sama. All of you... will now die." It was the young boy from earlier. The one with the hunter-nin mask. There was something else, though... he seemed worn, torn-up, as if slowly going mad since his first appearance to them. He raised a fistfull of senbon and added, "You two will die quickly, and the boy soon after, but the copy-ninja..." He laughed lightly, behind the emotionless mask. "He will die slowly, painfully..."

Naruto had heard enough. This kid was crazy, and he also attacked them. He was trying to kill the only ones the blonde ever cared about. The rage built inside Naruto's body, and her vision was starting to blurr...

A red aura suddenly burst around the young girl, roaring to life and taking the shape of an animals head at the top of the formation. A grinning, evil head. A demon fox. Then, Naruto's body itself began glowing red. Brighter and brighter. What happened then was something that Sakura would never have believed if she hadn't seen it herself. (Later, she would come to doubt it due to her prickly condition).

As the aura faded, Naruto emerged, dressed in his normal orange outfit and looking very pissed. And, most shocking of all, he was male again! He had broken the Juutsu that had trapped him for more than a week! The changes didn't stop there: The mop of blonde hair became longer and more ragged, his ears stretched to a point, his nails grew to become wicked claws, his teeth extended into fangs, and his eyes, once blue as the midday sky, became like spilt blood. During it all, the red aura only got stronger. Sakura was at a loss to explain what was happening. Her last thought as she fell into the inky pit of unconsciousness was _/Bring the other Naruto back...she was better-looking.../_

The hunter-nin was just as fast now as he was when he was fully focused, but the speed that this ...monster showed, ...it was unreal. Nothing should be able to move that fast. A hundred blows landed almost at once, and the boy could only stand there, unable to even block before the combo was finished. "I thought... you were... a girl..." he wheezed. The blonde didn't answer, however, with words. Just a savage punch to the gut that knocked the young boy into the air, into the fog, where he vanished. A splash was heard seconds later.

With the focus of his hatred gone, Naruto calmed down and the animalistic changes faded. However, he had used up so much chakra, even though he wasn't himself, that he, too, passed out.

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Later that day, some villagers were seen carrying two girls in stretchers --one with pink hair, one with blonde-- down the main road to old man Tezuna's house. In the commotion, no one noticed a stranger to the village also watching them pass. A stranger with a broad, black collar, spiked, black hair, and two burning red eyes. Obviously, no one was close enough to notice the 3 black swirls rotating around each pupil.

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There you go!! Got the Haku fight out of the way! HAHA! And what part could the 'mysterious stanger' play in all of this? (No, really, I wanna know).

R&R!


	7. diary

For those of you who suspect, yes: this will be a Fem-NaruSaku fic. 

(for now, anyway.)

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From the Diary of Haruno Sakura:

Dear Diary:

I think I've lost my mind. Or maybe everyone else has. I dunno. For so many years I've dreamed only of Sasuke. Being with Sasuke. Talking with Sasuke. Just getting him to say that he liked me was my mission. Some friends of mine thought I had made it into an obsession. Well, that was nothing compared to what I'm going through now.

One day, just about two weeks ago, we're set to start on our first major mission, right? (we being Team 7) As we waited, that idiot Naruto didn't show up. Even Kakashi-sensei got there first! That never happens! Sasuke went to go find him, and he brought back a girl! But not just any girl, ho-hoooo no... It was Naruto's infamous 'Sexy no Juutsu' girl. Even that blonde idiot should've known better than to show up like that, especially after the fuss he made in front of the Hokage just a few days eariler. Then he goes and says HE'S STUCK!!

Anyway, we got going, right? Then this weird pair of ninjas attack us out of nowhere, and right when they charge, suddenly all I see is ...Naruto. That idiot that was stuck in his 'girl' form was suddenly the most beautiful thing on the planet. The fight with Zabuza only made him (her?) more sexy. Suddenly all I wanted to do was grab that tight little...

AHHH! I don't like girls ...like that!! What's wrong with me?! How can someone I hate anyway, stuck looking like a girl to show me up, suddenly look so damn hot? AARRRGH!

Then the dreams began. Oh, God. If I ever came close to snapping right then and there, I would have. My dreams are supposed to have hot, sweaty men ready to strip naked for me, not... not... a FEMALE NARUTO!! (sob) God help me. I probably would have handled it better if I didn't know about Naruto's Kage Buushin no Juutsu. Each dream had more and more sexy mamas... getting closer... so hot...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! I've got to do something about this before I go as crazy as that weird, masked kid. I didn't mention him, did I? That was the fight that I still don't know about. There were needles flying everywhere, then Naruto changes back into a male, then into a half-demon. What disturbs me the most is that I realized ...that I wanted the female Naruto back. Right before I passed out, I... I... I wanted her.

Am I ...in love? With a girl?

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Apologies to anyone who likes Sakura. To everyone else, ...more's comin'.

R&R!


	8. afterwards

Onto chapter 8! 

Uh... no other comments.

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Naruto's small apartment was strangely quiet. Normally, _something_ was making noise, his fireplace, a wind chimes, or even birds. This morning, the blonde ninja awoke to deafening silence. She really wasn't suprised. Most of the village was abandoned when they arrived yesterday, and the few people that were there didn't stay long. Everyone had packed up and left, taking all life with them.

Kakashi had wasted no time in scouting out the village, then he returned and ordered the three of them to stay in the village until he returned, 'cause he was going to go find everybody. And since it was getting close to evening, he added that they should all sleep together, just to be safe.

This was why, in the early morning hours, Naruto had to cautiously step over and around two sleeping lumps of sheet and blanket on the floor. It was bad enough that they all agreed to stay in her apartment, but they could've at _least_ slept in the living room, for pete's sake.

She walked out to the kitchen, wearing only a tight pair of boxer shorts, a baggy white t-shirt, and her usual pigtails. Ramen. Ramen was the answer to everything: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, empty village, even gender confusion. Thank God there was still some firewood.

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Just a few miles off the borders of Wave Country, a small campfire crackled. Seated near it was a young boy with long locks of jet black hair and a beautiful, yet rough, face. His clothes were torn, his mask washed away, he was missing one shoe, and he had all but drowned in the river, but he felt better than he had in a week. It was as if his mind had cleared, and he was whole again.

For the past few days after washing up on shore here, Haku had spent his time healing the wounds that the ninja from the bridge had given him. Such _power_. Never before, even when he was with Zabuza, had he seen such power and speed. It was like fighting a god. Or a demon. Or both.

"Now what?" He asked no one.

Haku laid back on his back, staring up at the morning sky. Slowly, he remembered the dream. How he had seen his life literally pull away from him, and was replaced by darkness. And the eyes. Oh, the eyes. Red, with strange black swirls around the pupils. As he stared into those eyes, he saw his master, Zabuza, being impaled on a tree with a knife through his neck. The sheer horror woke him, and he rushed off; but too late. He had arrived too late.

Then later, after disposing of the corpse as he had been taught to do, he dreamed again. The eyes were back. This time, he saw several things: He saw one of the ninjas resposible running up a tree, and then two others going to the bridge with that accursed old man. Somehow, he knew where and when each of these scenes would occur. Obviously, he had no doubt that they would happen, for he had thought to change the first vision by getting there and stopping them. He had it in mind to ask the two on the bridge about the copy ninja. He would suffer.

Thinking back on these events, Haku sighed. He continued lying there, wondering if the eyes would come back in his next dream to show him what to do next.

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Things are coming together a little, ne? The plot develops as I type. R&R!


	9. journal

Hmm... It seems I've gotten some readers' attention with the empty Konoha bit. Oh, and to whom it may concern (and you know who you are) Sakura is a pink-haired cockroach in your opinion, not as a fact. 

Also, I'm no longer sure about this being a Fem-Naru/Saku fic, so forget about that. Let's just see what develops.

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From the journal of Uchiha Sasuke:

Well, the last few weeks have been _fun_.

...I'm being sarcastic, by the way.

First, we go off on a week-long mission which starts with a few quick fights between Kakashi-sensei and some other ninja, then I'm paralyzed for the rest of the mission. Yeah, lots of fun. Stupid needles.

Anyway, now we're back home (we being myself, Sakura, and Naruto) and the village is empty. Completely empty. No one, nothing. Konoha village is a ghost town. It might sound kinda weird, but I can't sleep at night because it's just too quiet.

...Or too loud? Sheesh, I didn't know Sakura could snore like that! Maybe it's just that much louder now, but I doubt it was any better then. Then there's Naruto; that punk went and got himself stuck in his Sexy no Juutsu, a move he made up that transforms him into a hot freakin' naked chick! It's supposed to be temporary, but he hasn't been himself since the mission began. I think I'm getting used to calling him a 'her,' but I hope I won't have to live with it much longer. These dreams are just too much.

Oh, yeah... the dreams. The most frequent one involves myself and female Naruto sitting on a roof somewhere, staring at the stars, when one of us confesses our love for the other, then clothes come off, ...sometimes she makes shadow clones... I'll spare the details right now, though. It's hard enough to write that with a steady hand.

The day after we got back, which was yesterday, we started looking around the village to see if we could find anything. Or anyone. So far, we've found about three houses that are locked and completely boarded up, as well as the Hokage's office locked and secluded. Everything else is empty and abandoned.

We would have knocked on one of the shut-up homes, but Naruto fell out of a tree right on top of me! --No one told me she was wearing short-shorts! I didn't know she HAD any! But there they were, large as life, right in my face. We were both face up, her butt on my chest. ...Thank God she got off before my woody pushed her up. (God, why did I write that? Stupid pen.) She claimed the branch broke, but I'm convinced she did that on purpose! Just to drive me crazy!

...And it's working. God, take me now.

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I know, I know... It's short! Tough. Since when does Sasuke talk more than this, anyway? Huh? Huh? Didn't think so. Anywhoo, R&R!!


	10. left behind?

Alright-- I don't want this to grow into more than 20 chapters, so let's get to it! (I say let's as if more than just me was working on it. Oh, well.) And everyone who wanted Hinata in the story, here she comes. (note: she will call our hero 'Naruto-kun' because it just doesn't look right otherwise)

...Unless you've given up on me already? TT

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The light mist that enshrouded Konoha Village was slowly evaporating in the morning sunlight. The three genins made their way along the damp ground, headed for the nearest of the locked houses. This was the one they almost tried to get into, until Naruto had her accident. Today, they had decided to try an early morning start, because they would make better time, but mostly because they were all up before dawn anyway.

The three of them had been back long enough to need more clothes from their respective homes, so all looked a little fresher. Sasuke and Sakura still had on their respective red and dark blue outfits, while Naruto wore her orange pants, a black t-shirt, and her goggles. No one had said more than a few words to each other all morning, and they had no idea what might be inside the house. Enemy ninja. A diseased animal. Undead zombies. Could be anything.

Sasuke went to the door first, knocking lightly. The hinges creaked as it swung open loosely, not even latched shut. More cautious than ever, he pushed it open even further. The sun's rays had not yet reached the windows on the side of the building, so darkness still loomed before them. Slowly, the black-haired ninja made his way into the building, with the girls following right behind him. In the back of his mind, Sasuke suddenly started thinking of Naruto, but tried to push it aside; he didn't need distractions right now. The blonde was unknowingly releasing a fresh cloud of pheremone chakra due to her fear. It was dark and scary, after all.

A sudden bump made all of them jump two feet into the air. Noises echoed from the dark hallway in front of them, and Sasuke quickly disappeared into it, followed by more noises, and a muffled yell. The young ninja re-appeared, holding none other than Hinata! He had both of her hands behind her back with one arm and was covering her mouth with the other. She, obviously, was scared spitless. Sasuke quickly let her go.

"Naruto-kun!" she cried, then quickly latched herself onto the young blonde's arm, trembling.

"Hinata! What's going on, here? Where is everybody?" Naruto sounded unusually worried.

"U-u-upstairs. A-all the adults just ...just ...everyone... walked away... the eyes... almost lost..." Then she burst out in quiet, muffled sobs.

Sasuke turned to Sakura. "You, come with me. You two..." he looked at the two girls "you two stay down here for now. Keep an eye out." And their black-haired and pink-haired heads vanished into the fading darkness.

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After what seemed like an eternity, Hinata finally calmed down enough to let go of Naruto's arm, which was starting to fall asleep, anyway. "I'm so glad to see you, Naruto-kun. I..." Just now, she caught a better look at the only other person in the room. "What...? What happened, Naruto-kun? That's not what you left here looking like!"

"Huh?" Naruto quickly looked down, then back up, and said "Oh, yeah. That. Well..." The young ninja began to explain how he had just woken up as a she, over a week ago, for no apparent reason. As she explained, she remembered the eyes. How they had been so ...all-seeing. How creepy they were. "So what about here? Just what happened?"

They had been standing all this time, so both sat down. Hinata began to explain. "Five days ago, everything was normal. Nothing was supposed to happen out of the ordinary. Then, for no reason at all, everyone just stood up and began walking away. Well, almost everyone. There were a few families that just got scared, packed up, and ran. They all thought the place was haunted, or something. No one would stop, turn, anything. They didn't even hear my pleas. It was just ...so weird."

Naruto, normally bored to tears during a long story, was totally focused on Hinata.

"Soon after, I met up with Neji, Rock Lee, Tenten, Kiba, and Kino. They had all remained normal, but their families had all left. Even the trained and battle-hardened chuunins and jounins were gone. The six of us could only watch as the entire village calmly walked out the gates and never looked back. That was when... I saw a strange vision. It almost looked like an eye, blood red, but with strange black swirls circling the pupil."

This description caused Naruto's heart to stop. No, it couldn't be that. That was just a dream... right?

"Sharingan."

Poor Hinata almost jumped out of her skin. Sasuke was sitting at the bottom of the stairs, watching the two of them. "That's exactly what a Sharingan eye looks like. They are possesed only by members of the Uchiha clan; my clan. ...You said it was a vision?"

The black-haired girl was trembling again. "Y-y-yes."

"That's not all, Sasuke" Naruto spoke up. She proceeded to describe her dream, about meeting Ebisu in the forest, getting hit with a strange juutsu, then seeing the eyes that were described as Sharingan. When she described how the swirls merged with the pupil, Sasuke whipped his head around and glared at the blonde. Angrily, and quickly, he jumped up, grabbed Naruto by the collar and yelled "What do you mean, they merged?!"

Silence filled the room like a sudden flood. No one spoke, no one moved... hell, no one breathed.

Finally, the angry ninja dropped Naruto and apologized. "Sorry. I didn't mean to blow up like that. It's just... just..." He quickly stormed out the front door. Sasuke stood outside for a long time, just staring. Thoughts surged in his mind. Images of death and destruction. Blood. Two evil, red eyes.

"Brother. What are you doing?"

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I think we're gettin' somewhere! Well, now the focus is turned from romance to suspence. Hopefully it'll stay that way. I'm better at it.

R&R, dern it! 


	11. midnight encounter

Just so everyone knows, I had no intention of actually having the extra characters from the last chapter _do_ anything. I just mentioned them for no good reason. And yes, I did forget about Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji. Gomenasai. 

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Graveyard shift was the one watch that Hinata always seemed to end up on. According to the others, she was the least likely to let anything get by her, what with those Byakugen eyes of hers. However, they didn't say it out loud, but she just knew that it was really because they couldn't afford to have any of the good fighters be tired during the day. She was expendable like that. On the inside, the young girl felt like screaming, kicking, and putting up as much of a fuss as she could-- but, being Hinata, she said nothing and just kept watch.

Tonight, she was sitting in the living room of the house, wearing her usual oversized jacket and capri pants. She had to bite her lip to keep from screaming again. Come to think of it, she had been put on the graveyard shift ever since that first night. She'd been sleeping during the day for two solid weeks now!

"Hinata?"

Somehow, even though fully alert and aware of all that was occuring outside, the young ninja still jumped a few inches into the air with a light yelp. "YAHH! I-uh-I... I'm... w-w-who is it?" Two blonde pigtails came into focus. "Naruto-kun! Wh-wh-what are you doing up this late?"

Naruto emerged, wearing a pair of grey, cotton sleep pants and a white tank top. The pants were slightly big on her (they were borrowed) so the top of her underwear was showing through. The girl who was not really a girl walked over and sat down next to Hinata. "Couldn't sleep. And I figured you could use some company." Naruto paused for a moment. "A lot has happened in this past week, after all."

"Yeah." Hinata just sat there silently.

Just a few days ago, between shifts, something thunked against the outside wall. Since Sasuke was just starting his watch, he went to check it out. That was the last anyone saw of him. He was just ...gone. No one knew if he had ran off, if he had been taken, or what. Neither Neji nor Hinata could find him with their Byakugen. That was when they found it. A kunai had struck the wall just to the left of the doorpost, but that wasn't important: the forehead protector that was stuck on it, was. After careful examination, Sakura finally realized that it was the one that Kakashi wore over his left eye at all times, except in battle; when he used his sharingan. That very night, Sakura woke up screaming. She had a dream in which both Kakashi and Sasuke were being torn to pieces by an unseen force. Unseen until the end, anyway... it was the eyes.

The silence continued. Outside, a chorus of crickets began its serenade. A dull thud signaled that someone upstairs was turning over. "I hope Sasuke's alright," Hinata said, quietly.

"I'm more worried about you, Hinata." Naruto was feeling unusually caring tonight. Perhaps it was just the late hour, and it was the fatigue talking. Maybe it was the fact that her usual, hyperactive personallity was slowly fading away to a more mature, calm spirit (without her knowing it). Or maybe it was because the moon had just shone through the clouds at that moment, casting a heavenly glow on the black-haired girl; all at once, Hinata looked less like a shy, quiet little ninja-in-training, and more like an angel of the night. Absolutely gorgeous.

"Naruto-kun... I, uh... you look beautiful tonight." It was out of her mouth before she even knew it was on its way there. "I mean, uh... um..." What she meant to say was that she liked the way the moonlight was making Narutos hair glow like a burning ember. That even though her secret crush was now a girl, it didn't matter. That there was just something about the way those blue eyes looked into hers...

A deep blush spread its way up her neck and took over her face, making it look much darker in the moonlight. She could have sworn her collar was starting to steam. How could she have just let that slip? How?!

The blonde was a little stunned. That was the first time she had been called beautiful. Naruto had only been a girl for a few weeks, after all. "Hinata... thank you, I... uh... you look beautiful, too."

Silence fell upon them once again. Both of them smiled at each other, both in an exceptionally better mood than they had been only minutes ago. Still, there was something else... a feeling of anxiety. Like they both knew what they wanted to do, but neither of them was willing to move first. After what seemed like ages, their hands started moving towards each other, slowly, until Hinatas small, ice-cold hand made contact with Narutos larger, warmer hand.

Their bodies seemed to like the idea, and they started moving closer to each other. They moved little by little, achingly slow. Both girls were losing themselves in each others eyes. Naruto quickly brought her free hand up to the other girls cheek, caressing it lightly. Closer and closer. It was one of those moments that seemed to be stuck in slow-motion. There was no need for words; their bodies would say everything. Hinata brought her hands up, placing one on Narutos back, one on the back of her head.

After what seemed like hours, their lips finally met. Hinata was suprised at how warm the kiss really was. And she liked it. She pulled closer and their bodies met, indescribable warmth flooding through her thin jacket. Both girls wrapped their arms around each other, deepening the kiss.

All at once, Naruto pulled away. The warmth that was stolen from the black-haired ninja left her in a slight shock. "Wait. Hinata... I'm a... aren't we both...?"

The young Hyuuga simply unzipped and removed her jacket, revealing a black sleeveless shirt that was the same color as her capris. She put her finger on the blondes lips, stopping her mid-sentence. "Shh...I knew that when we started. And I don't care..." She pulled Naruto in once again, this time right back where they left off. Funny, ...the longer this went on, the more comfortable she became, and the less she held back. In fact, hers was the first of their hands to start stroking her partners back. Naruto was also coming to accept her feelings towards Hinata, allowing her own hand to descend from her lovers cheek, down the shoulder, and around the side and back, pulling her closer.

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This was the scene repeated over and over, for the next three nights in a row. No one seemed to catch on to the two girls little affair, but they all sensed that something was different between the two.

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On the fourth night, Naruto was making her way downstairs once again. This time, however, she found her black-haired lover staring out the front door, not moving. The look on her face was one which displayed a mix of shock and horror. It was like a whole different girl sitting there in that living room. Slowly she stood up and walked over to the door, stopping in the doorway.

"Sasuke."

Naruto ran over and looked over the other girls shoulder. Darkness loomed everywhere. Even though she was well aware of the capabilities of the Byakugen, the blonde hoped she'd be able to at least see a shape that resembled their lost friend. Nothing. Maybe she should just let her eyes adjust. Yeah, that's it.

Finally, a shape came into view. It was staggering. Knowing that could only be Sasuke, Naruto ran outside. Not even paying attention to her surroundings, she threw one of his arms over her shoulder and half-carried him back to the house.

Inside, a latern was lit. Sasuke was set down on the couch. Hinata began looking him over. She checked his arms, legs, ...when she got to his face, she stopped. His eyes were blank; the eyes of one who is unconscous. Also, there were countless scars and cuts all around his eyes and down his cheeks. When she parted his hair, ...she revealed a set of cuts arranged to form the kanji for 'death.'

Neither of them said anything. There was nothing to say. Someone was out there, doing things like this...

Hinata suddenly whipped her head around and faced out the open door. That look was back, only this time there was a lot more fear than before. Naruto turned, not expecting to see anything due to the contrast between the lit room and the darkness outside. Except there was something. Another shape. Standing strait up, not moving. And two glowing red spots, right where the eyes were supposed to be.

"_He's here_," Sasuke whispered from the couch.

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Go time! It's down to the beginning of the final showdown! And yes, I know... I could've dragged the romance out a little more, but there was no need. I just wanted to get it out of the way. For those who are wondering about why I picked Hinata, and I know you're out there... so sue me. I have a thing for the wallflower type.

R&R!


	12. part 1: Sand

Merry Christmas! One last update before the holidays hit (like a **ton 'o bricks**). 

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The clouds began to break in the night sky, allowing the full moon to shine on the village and its few inhabitants. A lone figure stood in the open area, not moving, his long, black hair swaying in the gentle breeze. He wore a black overcoat, and something gleamed on his forehead; a forehead protector, branded with the symbol of the Hidden Leaf! The odd thing was that there was a deep cut right across the middle of the leaf. No weapons or excess equipment jutted out of his form. And of course, there were those eyes. They were like balls of red fire.

Two more figures emerged from the nearby house, stopping just across the clearing from the lone figure. One had long blonde hair tied in two pigtails and wore a white T-shirt and grey sleep pants. The other had short, black hair, and wore her usual dark-colored capris and sleeveless shirt, along with a pale grey jacket. Even though they knew that they had no chance of winning a battle in their current state, Naruto and Hinata still went out to meet their enemy in the dead of night.

Naruto spoke up first. "Hey! Just who the hell are you, anyway!? Start talkin'!!"

A cold grin was the only response.

At that instant, the blonde felt a sudden, stabbing pain in her head. Instantly, she blacked out, falling to her knees. The visions that followed were ...startling. Naruto saw a young Sasuke speaking with a young man that looked like an older clone of the black-haired ninja. They acted like brothers. This was suprising, because Naruto never remembered Sasuke even mentioning his family. Slowly, it dawned on the blonde that she was seeing memories of the past. Sasukes childhood. The days of the Uchiha clan.

The next memories burned themselves into Narutos brain from then on. It was night. Sasuke was running through the house, searching for his parents. He found them, lying in a room, dead; their killer still standing over the bodies. It was ...his brother! The same man Hinata and herself were facing off against right now! They were one and the same! Finally, as the memories faded out into blackness, Naruto heard the only spoken word during this whole thing. Itachi...

"Uzumaki Naruto."

When Naruto finally woke up, both she and Hinata were suprised at the mans first words. The man named Itachi. "How did you know...?"

"Aren't you ninjas taught to never underestimate your opponent?" His stare was as cold as it was penetrating. "I know more about you than you know about yourself. It's amazing what you can learn by simply reading chakra. You're an open book, my friend."

"I ...am not ...your friend." Naruto staggered back to her feet, helped by her partner. "I could never be the friend of a monster." The memories still lingered in her mind.

Itachi laughed at this remark. "Monster? Me? Then what does that make you?" He pointed right at the blonde. "Or have you forgotten about your little friend? The one sealed inside your body."

Naruto suddenly felt ice cold. Of course, how could she forget about Kyuubi? It was that demons fault that she had led the life she had, after all. Being an outcast because of what people think you are can be pretty scarring.

The dark figure in front of them began speaking again. "Since that night, I have traveled most of the known world, training myself and learning new juutsus. In fact, I invented quite a few to use in conjunction with my Mange-Ryu Sharingan. You yourself experienced one firsthand."

Well, this explained the dream.

About one month ago, I came upon the Hidden Sand village. There I met the most fascinating boy. You probably don't know him, but he was extraordinarily powerful. I believe his name was ...Gaara." Itachi paused for a moment. "It took much longer than I anticipated, but in the end I was able to bring him down. I then discovered the source of his power; a sand demon."

At this, Naruto was startled. Another demon?

"Although the fight was lost, the demon would not die. He actually made a bargain with me: I allow him to live, and he posses my body. He didn't expect me to be able to gain full control of his powers once he got in, though. I learned all that he knew and gained all that he had to offer. That was how I learned of two other demons in different villages across the planet." He paused again. "One of them is your Kyuubi."

The two girls then went into their ready stances. "So basically, you're just after the Kyuubi, right?" Naruto asked. "Sheesh. And here I thought it was just some big, complicated revenge thing. You're just looking for more power."

Itachi grinned wider. "What did I say about underestimating your opponent?" Just then, the ground began to rumble. Sand began to flow from the ground, up and around the two startled ninja, and started clumping in midair. This mass grew and gained a shape. Four massive legs held up its body, while an enourmous tail gave balance to the enlarged head. Its eyes were solid black, with only a few glowing white designs serving as the pupils. It was a giant ...sand badger.

Naruto could only stare. A badger? _What the_ ...?

The shock quickly faded as the tail shot forth and slammed the ground between the two girls, sending them flying backwards. Hinata could only look up, scared. This thing was more powerful than it looked. Much more. The young genin was suddenly quite certain that this would be a losing battle.

Naruto had other ideas. Running at full speed, she charged the sandy mass, leaped up, and reached for a kunai ...that wasn't there. Not good. The badger savagely swatted the blonde to the ground, forcing all the air from her lungs. Naruto lay still, trying desperatly to catch her breath, as the monster stepped closer. Time seemed to stand still. Itachi stood off to the side, not moving, not speaking; only controlling the beast with his mind.

A kunai flew out of nowhere, catching the sand-badger completely by suprise. It landed deep in his left eye, which erupted with a gush of sand. In the heat of battle, no one had seen Hinata run back into the house and grab her kunais. She now stood several feet from the door of the house, her eyes almost glowing. "Even though it's made of sand, your monster does have its weak points. Nothing is hidden from the Byakugen."

Itachi chuckled lightly. "If you think that's going to help you, then go for it. I guarantee that you won't make a second shot." With that remark, sand wrapped itself around Hinatas ankles, forcing her to remain in place. Her courage suddenly gone, the genin cryed out as the badgers tail shot like a cannon, aimed strait at her head.

What it hit, however, was the tree behind her, which exploded in a shower of splinters and debris. This was probably due to the blonde ninja perched atop the sand-badgers head, driving a kunai deep and solid into its right eye. For how can anything aim with two injured eyes?

Naruto leaped off the creature, reached Hinata, severed the sand bindings with the same kunai she had picked out of the sand and stabbed the beast with, and moved the two of them off to the side. "Nice thinking, Hinata. If we blind it, maybe we stand a chance..." Naruto was stopped short by laughter.

The black-haired man spoke up. "You fools. Do you really think that attacking its eyes will blind it? Do you really expect demons to fight under the same rules as the rest of us?" As if in response, the badgers eyes just ...reappeared. As if it opened a new set completely. No effort. Aw, crap.

"This is not good. I don't sense any more weak points, Naruto-kun!" Hinata was starting to panic. Her voice was warbling and sweat was starting to pour down her face, despite the chill in the air. Neither ninja noticed that the chill was starting to increase. The temperature was dropping, in fact.

Itachi was the first to notice the water. Small rivers of water were creeping inwards like serpents. They connected and formed a wide circle of clear water around the clearing, encircling the two girls, the man, and the monster. The cold continued to intensify, now noticed by all. Slowly, the water began to rise, sections flattening out and forming large, rectangular areas. These shapes then spread further and formed more and more, until they fashioned into a dome. Then they froze, solidifying into a den of mirrors, while a thick mist set in, enshrouding the fighters in a curtain of white.

Something was happening, and no one knew just what. Not even Itachi had heard of this technique. A dome of ..._Ice Mirrors_?

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MWAHAHAHAAA!! This is getting good, methinks. I'm really making this up as I go along, so if it's starting to get weird or anything ...blame my imagination. I'm just typing it.

_**R&R!! Please!! I need input!!**_


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